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Anna University of Technology

The world renowned 30-year old Anna University in Chennai is on road to regaining its founding status as a unitary technical university,
which would give a fresh impetus to research in the field of engineering.

The state government is learnt to have agreed to establish an Anna University of Technology (tentatively named) to which control of the 136 engineering colleges that are currently affiliated to the Anna University here will be transferred. Likewise, the Anna Universities in Coimbatore, Trichy and Tirunelveli will also be renamed as Anna University of Technology.

At a meeting chaired by higher education minister on Monday, eminent academics M Anandakrishnan backed by V C Kulandaisamy (both former vice chancellors of the university) argued for amending the recent proposal to establish a separate world class unitary technical university at the cost of continuing to burden the Anna University (Chennai) with its present status of an affiliating type university.

The meeting was held at the behest of chief minister M Karunanidhi after Anandakrishnan had written to him articulating that the move would wipe out three decades of accomplishment of the existing Anna University, established in 1978 as a unitary university with four constituent colleges.

In December 2001 the government had converted it into an affiliating university with over 220 engineering colleges coming into its fold to upgrade the quality of technical education.

Anandakrishnan felt that post-2001 practically everything - research, publication and academic collaboration - went down the drain. The morale of the faculty was affected as they were burdened with affiliation-related work. Therefore, he was pursuing with the government to restore the Anna University's unitary status and create another affiliating university. However, the government's recent announcement was the other way round.

"I pointed out that it will take several years for a new unitary Anna University to get recognition including central funding under Section 12B of the UGC Act. The new university has to establish its credentials all over again. I requested the chief minister to reconsider the decision. Fortunately at today's meeting the minister also realised the point we were making," Anandakrishnan told The Times of India.

Anandakrishnan, who was a member of the HRD ministry's Yash Pal committee, has suggested that after the Anna University's unitary status is restored its governing board and syndicate must be reconstituted with minimum interference from the state.

However, higher education principal secretary K Ganesan said no decision has been taken on the issue. "We just had a discussion on how to go about with the formation of a unitary university. Whether we form a new unitary university or establish an affiliating university, either way we will be creating a new university," he said.

Meanwhile, a section of the Anna University faculty feel that transferring control of the affiliated colleges en bloc to another university will not be an easy transition as the existing students including first years have to remain in the present system till they complete their course. Another view is that after all the hard work that the faculty had put in to strengthen technical education under an affiliating system, suddenly they are being divested of their powers.

"The government did not consult us. Research work or number of PhDs generated had not declined as is being projected," said a senior professor.

Another section, however, said the move will lead to a significant improvement in the time that the senior faculty would dedicate to their respective departments, academics, postgraduate studies, research and consultancy projects.

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